PJD Enterprises

Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio?

I've been collecting baseball cards since 1980 - for the second time. The first was from 1951 until about 1954, or 1955. I'm one of those people whose cards mysteriously disappeared when I was away at college. Even when I was a kid, I was always a stickler for condition. I had lots of 1951 Bowmans, 1952 Topps and Bowmans, and 1953 and 1954 Topps cards. I did use rubber bands on them, so maybe they weren't so hot after all. I had 1952 Topps Andy Pafkos and 1953 Topps Jackie Robinsons coming out of my ears. I had the 1951 Bowman Mantle and Mays cards. The Sibby Sisti card, above, is one of my all-time favorites from the 1951 Bowman set. I have this fantasy that someday I'll go up into the attic, and they'll still be there hiding behind those old elk horns. Fat chance!

In 1980, I started collecting again, but it just wasn't the same. Too many cards, too many sets, too many inserts. I concentrated on Yankee team sets (mostly Topps). I have them all from 1978-on. As you might expect, I particularly enjoy the Topps Heritage cards that resemble those cards I collected as a kid. Every year I tell myself that's it - no more, but I keep getting at least the Topps Yankee sets. I got into airplane card collecting a couple of years ago, when baseball cards just became too expensive. Topps Wings from, you guessed it, 1952, are my current passion. They are quite scarce in decent condition - I don't know if I'll ever finish the set, but it's fun trying.